Dripping device and related method thereof

ABSTRACT

A ring washer is provided at an end of the outlet of the dripping device. The ring washer has a center trough channel aligned with the outlet. A sphere is rotatably stuck at an end of the through channel of the ring washer. When the sphere is turned to a specific angle, a diametrical through channel of the sphere is substantially aligned with the through channel of the ring washer and the outlet and the fluid in the dripping device is therefore allowed to drip through. At the end of the through channel of the ring washer that interfaces with the sphere, a flexible ring element is provided that could conform to the curvature of the sphere and thereby compensate for slits that may exist between the not-so-perfectly-circular ring washer and the not-so-perfectly-round sphere.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to dripping devices for making coffee or tea or the like, and more particular to a dripping device using a sphere to control the open and close of the outlet of the dripping device.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Quite a few simple dripping devices have been disclosed, such as those taught by R.O.C. Taiwan Patent Publication Nos. 375021 and 451654.

Most of these dripping devices have a ring washer at the outlet of the device and a sphere fitted in the hole of the ring washer to block the outlet.

The hole of the ring washer and the sphere have to be perfectly circular and spherical so as to be fully matched and thereby to avoid leakage. The manufacturing of the precisely circular ring washer and round sphere is therefore more difficult. Additionally, after a period of usage, the wear between the sphere and the ring washer inevitably creates some slit therebetween and leakage may still happen.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel dripping device and a related method in controlling the open and close of the outlet of a dripping device.

According to the present invention, a ring washer is provided at an end of the outlet of the dripping device. The ring washer has a center through channel aligned with the outlet. A sphere is provided in the center of a stick and the sphere has a larger diameter than that of the through channel of the ring washer. The sphere is rotatably stuck at an end of the through channel of the ring washer. When the stick is turned, the sphere is turned as well. When the sphere is turned to a specific angle, a diametrical through channel of the sphere is substantially aligned with the through channel of the ring washer and the fluid in the dripping device is therefore allowed to drip through.

At the end of the through channel of the ring washer that interfaces with the sphere, a flexible ring element is provided that could conform to the curvature of the sphere and thereby compensate for slits that may exist between the not-so-perfectly-circular ring washer and the not-so-perfectly-round sphere.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a dripping device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view showing the various components of the dripping device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the dripping device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a scenario of the dripping device when the knob is turned to the “OFF” position.

FIG. 5 shows the interaction between the sphere and the ring washer during the scenario of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a scenario of the dripping device when the knob is turned to the “ON” position.

FIG. 7 shows the interaction between the sphere and the ring washer during the scenario of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8 a and 8 b illustrate the flexible ring element's conforming to the sphere.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the flexible ring element's compensation for the not-so-perfectly-circular ring washer.

FIG. 11 shows the function of the guide plate of the cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a dripping device according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly contains a cup-like container 10 with a handle 16 laterally attached to the side wall (not numbered) of the container 10. The top opening of the container 10 is closed by a circular cover 17 hinged to a top portion of the handle 16. Adjacent to where the cover 17 and the handle 16 are joined, a guide plate 171 is vertically extended downward from the rim of the cover 17. The purpose of having the guide plate 171 will be explained later. In addition, the container 10 has a cylindrical base with a circular flange 15 at the bottom for placing the entire dripping device on top of a mug or cup.

A filter 12 is usually positioned inside the container 10 and the coffee grounds or tea leaves or the like are placed on top of the filter 12. There is an outlet 11 running vertically through the axis of the cylindrical base of the container 10. Along the bottom surface of the base, there is an indentation 13 for holding a ring washer 20 so that the ring washer 20 is perpendicular to the outlet 11 and a center through channel 21 of the ring washer 20 is aligned with the outlet 11.

The ring washer 20 is made of a food-grade rubber material. Around the bottom aperture of the inner circumference of the through channel 21, a ring groove 22 is provided to hold a flexible ring element 23. Beneath the bottom surface of the cylindrical base of the container 10, a stick 30 is laterally provided so that a sphere 40 in the center of the stick 30 having a diameter larger than that of the through channel 21 blocks the bottom aperture of the through channel 21. The stick 30 runs diametrically through the base and its two ends are extended outside of the base through two holes 14 of the base and then plugged into two knobs 31 fitted inside the holes 14, respectively. As such, by twisting each one of the knobs 31, the stick 30 as well as the sphere 40 is spun accordingly.

The sphere 40 has a diametrical through channel 41 so that, when the sphere 40 is turned to a specific angle, the through channel 41 is aligned with the through channel 21. The through channel 41 has enlarged openings at the two ends to facilitate the flow of fluid through the through channel 41.

Each knob 31 has an inner cylindrical socket (not numbered) for receiving an end of the stick 30 and an outer cylindrical dial (not numbered) with an indicator 33 extended radially from the circumference of the dial that, along with “ON” and “OFF” markings around each hole 14, indicates the orientation of sphere 40 as well as the through channel 41. The inner socket has a block 32 extended radially from the circumference of the inner socket. Correspondingly, each hole 14 has a notch 141 along the circumference of the hole 14 so that the block 32 can only be turned within the confinement of the notch 141. The notch 141 is configured such that the “ON” and “OFF” markings marks the two ends of the block 32's traversal within the notch 141 and, when the indicator 33 points to the “ON” marking, the sphere 40 is turned to an angle that the through channel 41 is fully aligned with the through channel 21.

The foregoing components of the dripping device can all be made of a microwaveable material so that the entire dripping device and a cup can be placed inside a microwave oven to make a cup of hot coffee or tea.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the knobs 31 are turned to the “OFF” position, the outlet 11 and the through channel 41 are not aligned and the fluid in the container 10 is prevented from dripping or leaking into a cup 50 beneath the dripping device.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the knobs 31 are turned to the “ON” position, the outlet 11 and the through channel 41 are fully aligned and the fluid in the container 10 is allowed to drip into the cup 50 beneath the dripping device.

FIG. 8 a shows the configuration of the ring washer 20 when it is not in contact with the sphere 40. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 8 b, the sphere 40 presses against the bottom aperture of the through channel 21, thereby forcing the ring element 23 to deform and conform to the curvature of the sphere 40. As such, a watertight contact between the ring washer 20 and the sphere 40 is achieved and no fluid would be able to escape through the outlet 11 and the channel 21.

As shown in FIG. 9, even when the ring washer 20 is not fully circular (or the sphere 40 is not filly spherical), the flexible ring element 23 is able to compensate these minor defects by conforming to the curvature of the sphere 40. As such, a watertight contact is still maintained. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 10, leakage would be inevitable without the provisioning of the flexible ring element 23 to compensate the not-so-perfect ring washer 20 or sphere 40.

As shown in FIG. 11, as vapor from the container 10 may be condensed into liquid along the bottom surface of the cover 17, the condensed vapor could be colleted back into the container 10 following the guide plate 171 when the cover 17 is opened.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a usefull application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. A method for controlling the open and close of an outlet of a dripping device, comprising the steps of: providing a ring washer at an end of said outlet, said ring washer having a first through channel aligned with said outlet, a flexible ring element positioned around the inner circumference at said end of said ring washer; providing a sphere having a larger diameter than that of said first through channel, said sphere rotatably stuck in said end of said first through channel, said sphere having a diametrically second through channel; turning said sphere so that said second through channel is substantially aligned with said first through channel to open said outlet; and turning said sphere so that said second through channel is not aligned with said first through channel to close said outlet; wherein said flexible ring element conforms to the curvature of said sphere to prevent leakage.
 2. A dripping device, comprising: a container having a cylindrical base with an outlet running vertically through the center of said base; a ring washer having a center first through channel, said ring washer positioned in an indentation on a bottom surface of said base so that said first through channel aligned with said outlet; a stick laterally provided beneath said base, said stick running diametrically through said base and having at least an end extended outside said base through a hole of said base, said end of said stick having a radially extended block fitted in a notch around the circumference of said hole so that said stick is turned within the confinement of said notch; and a sphere in the center of said stick having a larger diameter than that of said first through channel, said sphere rotatably stuck in an end of said first through channel, said sphere having a diametrically second through channel; wherein, by turning said sphere so that said second through channel is substantially aligned with said first through channel, said outlet is opened; and, by turning said sphere so that said second through channel is not aligned with said first through channel, said outlet is closed.
 3. The dripping device according to claim 2, wherein the bottom of said base has a circular flange for placing said dripping device on top of a cup.
 4. The dripping device according to claim 2, wherein at least an end of said second through channel has an enlarged opening.
 5. The dripping device according to claim 2, wherein, around the inner circumference of said end of said first through channel, a ring groove is provided to hold a flexible ring element.
 6. The dripping device according to claim 2, wherein a handle is laterally attached to the side wall of said container.
 7. The dripping device according to claim 2, wherein a cover is hinged to said container that opens or closes a top opening of said container.
 8. The dripping device according to claim 7, wherein a guide plate is vertically extended downward from the rim of said cover adjacent to where said cover is hinged to said container.
 9. The dripping device according to claim 2, where said end of said stick extended outside of said base is plugged into a knob for turning said stick.
 10. The dripping device according to claim 9, wherein said knob has an indicator radially extended from said knob specifying the orientation of said second through channel of said sphere. 